THE SEVEN GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

Bible text: Isaiah 11:2

As enumerated in Isaiah 11:2-3, the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are wisdom, understanding,
counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord. They are present in their fullness in
Jesus Christ but are found in all Christians who are in a state of grace. We receive them when we
are infused with sanctifying grace, the life of God within us—as, for example, when we receive a
sacrament worthily. They complete and perfect the virtues of those who receive them.” Infused
with His gifts, we respond to the promptings of the Holy Spirit as if by instinct, the way Christ
Himself would.

 Wisdom: Also, the gift of wisdom, we see God at work in our lives and in the world. For the wise
person, the wonders of nature, historical events, and the ups and downs of our lives take on
deeper meaning. The matters of judgment about the truth, and being able to see the whole image
of God. We see God as our Father and other people with dignity. Lastly being able to see God in
everyone and everything everywhere.

 Understanding: In understanding, we comprehend how we need to live as a follower of Christ. A

person with understanding is not confused by all the conflicting messages in our culture about the
right way to live. The gift of understanding perfects a person's speculative reason in the
apprehension of truth. It is the gift whereby self-evident principles are known.

 Counsel (Right Judgment): With the gift of counsel/right judgment, we know the difference
between right and wrong, and we choose to do what is right. A person with right judgment avoids
sin and lives out the values taught by Jesus. The gift of truth that allows the person to respond
prudently, and happily to believe our Christ the Lord

 Fortitude (Courage): With the gift of fortitude/courage, we overcome our fear and are willing to
take risks as a follower of Jesus Christ. A person with courage is willing to stand up for what is
right in the sight of God, even if it means accepting rejection, verbal abuse, or even physical harm
and death. The gift of courage allows people the firmness of mind that is required both in doing
good and in enduring evil, especially with regard to goods or evils that are difficult.

 Knowledge: With the gift of knowledge, we understand the meaning of God. The gift of
knowledge is more than an accumulation of facts.

 Piety (Reverence): With the gift of reverence, sometimes called piety, we have a deep sense of
respect for God and the church. A person with reverence recognizes our total reliance on God and
comes before God with humility, trust, and love. Piety is the gift whereby, at the Holy Spirit's
instigation, we pay worship and duty to God as our Father, Aquinas writes.

 Fear of the Lord (Wonder and Awe): With the gift of fear of the Lord we are aware of the glory
and majesty of God. A person with wonder and awe knows that God is the perfection of all we
desire: perfect knowledge, perfect goodness, perfect power, and perfect love. This gift is
described by Aquinas as a fear of separating oneself from God. He describes the gift as a "filial
fear," like a child's fear of offending his father, rather than a "servile fear," that is, a fear of
punishment. Also known as knowing God is all powerful. Fear of the Lord is the beginning of
wisdom (Prov 1:7) because it puts our mindset in its correct location with respect to God: we are
the finite, dependent creatures, and He is the infinite, all-powerful Creator.

Comparisons and correspondences

The four of these gifts (wisdom, understanding, knowledge, and counsel) direct the intellect(our faculty of
thinking, judging, abstract reasoning, and conceptual understanding, while the other three gifts (fortitude,
piety, and fear of the Lord) direct our will toward God. The Seven virtues includes: charity, faith,
prudence, fortitude, hope, justice, temperance
In some respects, the gifts are similar to the virtues, but a key distinction is that the virtues operate under
the impetus(force) of human reason (prompted by grace), whereas the gifts operate under the
impetus(force) of the Holy Spirit; virtue can be used when we wishes, but the gifts operate only when the
Holy Spirit wishes. In the case of Fortitude, the gift has, in Latin and English, the same name as a virtue,
which it is related to but from which it must be distinguished.
Correspondences(similarities) between the seven Capital Virtues and the seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit:
The gift of wisdom corresponds to the virtue of charity.
The gift of understanding corresponds to the virtue of faith.
The gift of counsel (right judgement) corresponds to the virtue of prudence.
The gift of courage corresponds to the virtue of fortitude.
The gift of knowledge corresponds to the virtue of hope.
The gift of Reverence corresponds to the virtue of justice.
The gift of Wonder and Awe corresponds to the virtue of temperance.

THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT: THE MANIFESTATION OF SANCTIFYING GRACE

1. WISDOM
Wisdom is the first and highest gift of the Holy Spirit, because it is the perfection of faith. Through
wisdom, we come to value properly those things which we believe through faith. The truths of Christian
belief are more important than the things of this world, and wisdom helps us to order our relationship to
the created world properly, loving Creation for the sake of God, rather than for its own sake.
The First and Highest Gift of the Holy Spirit:
Wisdom is the perfection of faith. Where faith is a simple knowledge of the articles of Christian belief,
wisdom goes on to a certain divine penetration of the truths themselves." The better we understand those
truths, the more we value them properly. Thus wisdom, by detaching us from the world, makes us
relish(have a taste) and love only the things of heaven. Through wisdom, we have the desire to judge the
things of the world in light of the highest end of man—the contemplation of God.
The Application of Wisdom:
Such detachment, however, is not the same as renunciation of the world—far from it. Rather, wisdom
helps us to love the world properly, as the creation of God, rather than for its own sake. The material
world, though fallen as a result of the sin of Adam and Eve, is still worthy of our love; we simply need to
see it in the proper light, and wisdom allows us to do so.
Knowing the proper ordering of the material and spiritual worlds through wisdom, we can more easily
bear the burdens of this life and respond to our fellow man with charity and patience.
2. UNDERSTANDING
Understanding is the second gift of the Holy Spirit, and people sometimes have a hard time understanding
(no pun intended) how it differs from wisdom. While wisdom is the desire to contemplate(To view or
consider with continued attention) the things of God, understanding allows us grasp, at least in a limited
way, the very essence of the truths of our faith. Through understanding, we gain a certitude(sureness)
about our beliefs that moves beyond faith.
The Second Gift of the Holy Spirit:
Understanding is the second gift of the Holy Spirit, behind only wisdom. It differs from wisdom in that
wisdom is the desire to contemplate the things of God, while understanding allows us to "penetrate to the
very core of revealed truths." This doesn't mean that we can come to understand, say, the Trinity the way
that we might a mathematical equation, but that we become certain of the truth of the doctrine of the
Trinity. Such certitude moves beyond faith, which "merely assents(agree) to what God has revealed."
Understanding in Practice:
Once we become convinced through understanding of the truths of the Faith, we can also draw
conclusions from those truths and arrive at a further understanding of man's relation to God and his role in
the world. Understanding rises above natural reason, which is concerned only with the things we can
sense in the world around us. Thus, understanding is both speculative—concerned with intellectual
knowledge—and practical, because it can help us to order the actions of our lives toward our final end,
which is God. Through understanding, we see the world and our life within it in the larger context of the
eternal law and the relation of our souls to God.
3. COUNSEL
Counsel, the third gift of the Holy Spirit, is the perfection of the cardinal virtue of prudence(quality of
being prudent; very careful in taking actions). Prudence can be practiced by anyone, but counsel is
supernatural. Through this gift of the Holy Spirit, we are able to judge how best to act almost by
intuition(feeling). Because of the gift of counsel, Christians need not fear to stand up for the truths of the
Faith, because the Holy Spirit will guide us in defending those truths.
The Third Gift of the Holy Spirit:
Counsel is the third of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit enumerated in Isaiah 11:2-3. All seven gifts are
present in their fullness in Jesus Christ, Whom Isaiah foretold (Isaiah 11:1), but they are available to all
Christians who are in a state of grace. We receive the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit when we are infused
with sanctifying grace, the life of God within us—as, for example, when we receive a sacrament worthily.
They complete and perfect the virtues of those who receive them."
The Perfection of Prudence:
Counsel is the perfection of the cardinal virtue of prudence. While prudence, like all the cardinal virtues,
can be practiced by anyone, whether in a state of grace or not, it can take on a supernatural dimension
through sanctifying grace. Counsel is the fruit of this supernatural prudence.
Like prudence, counsel allows us to judge rightly what we should do in a particular circumstance. It goes
beyond prudence, though, in allowing such judgments to be made promptly, "as by a sort of supernatural
intuition,".
Counsel in Practice:
Counsel builds on both wisdom, which allows us to judge the things of the world in light of our final end,
and understanding, which helps us to penetrate to the very core of the mysteries of our faith.
"With the gift of counsel, the Holy Spirit speaks, as it were, to the heart and in an instant enlightens a
person what to do," . It is the gift that allows us as Christians to be assured that we will act correctly in
times of trouble and trial. Through counsel, we can speak without fear in defense of the Christian Faith.
Thus, counsel "enables us to see and choose correctly what will help most to the glory of God and our
own salvation."
4. FORTITUDE

While counsel is the perfection of a cardinal virtue, fortitude is both a gift of the Holy Spirit and a
cardinal virtue. Fortitude is ranked as the fourth gift of the Holy Spirit because it gives us the strength to
follow through on the actions suggested by the gift of counsel. While fortitude is sometimes called
courage, it goes beyond what we normally think of as courage. Fortitude is the virtue of the martyrs that
allows them to suffer death rather than to renounce the Christian Faith.
One of the Four Cardinal Virtues:
Fortitude is one of the four cardinal virtues. As such, it can be practiced by anyone, since, unlike the
theological virtues, the cardinal virtues are not, in themselves, the gifts of God through grace but the
outgrowth of habit.
Fortitude is commonly called courage, but it is different from what much of what we think of as courage
today. Fortitude is always reasoned and reasonable; the person exercising fortitude is willing to put
himself in danger if necessary, but he does not seek danger for danger's sake.
Fortitude is the virtue that allows us to overcome fear and to remain steady in our will in the face of
obstacles. Prudence and justice are the virtues through which we decide what needs to be done; fortitude
gives us the strength to do it.
What Fortitude Is Not:
Fortitude is not foolhardiness or rashness, "rushing in where angels fear to tread." Indeed, part of the
virtue of fortitude, as Fr. John A. Hardon, S.J., notes in his Modern Catholic Dictionary, is the "curbing of
recklessness." Putting our bodies or lives in danger when it is not necessary is not fortitude but
foolishness.
A Gift of the Holy Spirit:
Sometimes, however, the ultimate sacrifice is necessary, in order to stand up for what is right and to save
our souls. Fortitude is the virtue of the martyrs, who are willing to give their lives rather than to renounce
their faith. That sacrifice may be passive—Christian martyrs do not actively seek
martyrdom(suffering/punishment)—but it is nonetheless determined and resolute(firm).
It is in martyrdom that we see the best example of fortitude rising above a mere cardinal virtue (able to be practiced
by anyone) into a supernatural gift of the Holy Spirit. In moral courage against the evil spirit of the times, against
improper fashions, against human respect, against the common tendency to seek at least the comfortable, if not the
voluptuous."
Fortitude, as a gift of the Holy Spirit, also allows us to cope with poverty and loss, and to cultivate the Christian
virtues that allow us to rise above the basic requirements of Christianity. The saints, in their love for God and their
fellow man and their determination to do what is right, exhibit fortitude as a supernatural gift of the Holy Spirit, and
not merely as a cardinal virtue.

5. KNOWLEDGE
The fifth gift of the Holy Spirit, knowledge, is often confused with both wisdom and understanding. Like wisdom,
knowledge is the perfection of faith, but whereas wisdom gives us the desire to judge all things according to the
truths of our Faith(believe system), knowledge is the actual ability to do so. Like counsel, it is aimed at our actions
in this life. In a limited way, knowledge allows us to see the circumstances of our life the way that God sees them.
Through this gift of the Holy Spirit, we can determine God's purpose for our lives and live them accordingly.
The Perfection of Faith:
Like wisdom, knowledge perfects the theological virtue of faith. The aims of knowledge and wisdom are different,
however. Whereas wisdom helps us to penetrate divine truth and prepares us to judge all things according to that
truth, knowledge gives us that ability to judge. The object of this gift is the whole spectrum of created things insofar
as they lead one to God."
The Application of Knowledge:
Knowledge allows us to see the circumstances of our life as God sees them, albeit in a more limited way, since we
are limited by our human nature. Through the exercise of knowledge, we can ascertain God's purpose in our lives
and His reason for placing us in our particular circumstances. As Father Hardon notes, knowledge is sometimes
called "the science of the saints," because "it enables those who have the gift to discern easily and effectively
between the impulses of temptation and the inspirations of grace." Judging all things in the light of divine truth, we
can more easily distinguish between the promptings of God and the subtle wiles of the devil.

6. PIETY(Reverence)
Piety, the sixth gift of the Holy Spirit, is the perfection of the virtue of religion. While we tend to think of religion
today as the external elements of our faith, it really means the willingness to worship and to serve God. Piety takes
that willingness beyond a sense of duty, so that we desire to worship God and to serve Him out of love, the way that
we desire to honor our parents and do what they wish.
The Perfection of Religion:
Perhaps in none of the gifts of the Holy Spirit is this instinctual response more obvious than in piety. While wisdom
and knowledge perfect the theological virtue of faith, piety perfects religion. Religion: The moral virtue by which a
person is disposed to render to God the worship and service he deserves." Far from being a drudgery(tedious and
exhausting work), worship should be an act of love, and piety is the instinctive affection for God that makes us
desire to render worship to Him, just as we voluntarily honor our parents.
Piety in Practice:
Piety instills in us a desire always to do that which is pleasing to God (and, by extension, that which is pleasing to
those who serve God in their own lives).
7. FEAR OF THE LORD
The seventh and final gift of the Holy Spirit is the fear of the Lord, and perhaps no other gift of the Holy Spirit is so
misunderstood. We think of fear and hope as opposites, but the fear of the Lord confirms the theological virtue of
hope. This gift of the Holy Spirit gives us the desire not to offend God, as well as the certainty that God will supply
us the grace that we need in order to keep us from offending Him. Our desire not to offend God is more than simply
a sense of duty; like piety, the fear of the Lord arises out of love.
Confirming the Virtue of Hope:
The gift of the fear of the Lord, confirms the virtue of hope. We often think of hope and fear as mutually
exclusive(not comparable ) but the fear of the Lord is the desire not to offend Him, and the certainty that He will
give us the grace necessary to keep from doing so. It is that certainty that gives us hope.
The fear of the Lord is like the respect we have for our parents. We do not wish to offend them, but we also do not
live in fear of them, in the sense of being frightened.
What the Fear of the Lord Is Not:
"The fear of the Lord is not servile(pertaining to slave) but filial(sonship)." In other words, it is not a fear of
punishment, but a desire not to offend God that parallels our desire not to offend our parents.
Even so, many people misunderstand the fear of the Lord. Recalling the verse that "The fear of the Lord is the
beginning of wisdom," they think that the fear of the Lord is something that is good to have when you first start out
as a Christian, but that you should grow beyond it. That is not the case; rather, the fear of the Lord is the beginning
of wisdom because it is one of the foundations of our religious life, just as the desire to do what our parents wish us
to do should remain with us our entire lives.